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17 August 2007 - Portobello Hornets Mini Rugby - Open Day

Basic Age Group Laws of Mini Rugby

Primary 3

At this age level there is no contact rugby played with only "touch" or "tag" rugby taking place. The main aim at this level is to encourage positional play, ball handling and passing. With this in mind there is no kicking (of the ball) allowed.

Primary 4

Contact (tackling) is first introduced at this age level with a strict "below the waistline" rule applied to the tackle, with team sizes restricted to 6 a side. Once again there is no kicking (of the ball) allowed.

Primary 5

There are no differences between this age level and the P4 age level. However, when playing other teams agreement may be reached to increase the size of the teams from 6 to 8 a side if there are too many players.

Primary 6

At this age level scrums and kicking are introduced for the first time. The scrum consists of 3 players, 2 props and a hooker and no pushing is allowed. The ball can only be kicked from within the 5 metre area with kicking anywhere else being penalised. The teams at P6 increase from 6 to 8 to accommodate the extra players required to form the scrum.

Primary 7

At this age level the team number steps up to 10 a side, with the introduction of a 5 man scrum. Kicking within the 5 metre line is carried forward from P6 and non contested line outs are introduced for the first time.

Coaching

Coaching of the different age levels is undertaken by qualified SRU coaches and we attempt to have 2 coaches to every team. One of our aims as coaches is to provide an enjoyable rugby experience in a friendly and safe environment for the children. All coaches are volunteers and we are always looking for mums and dads to come on board and assist on the coaching side! One aspect of the coaches role is that they are allowed on the pitch with the children from P3 - P6, this is to provide guidance and support for the team while they play.

Equipment

Portobello Hornets provide the children with rugby tops for games and subsidised shorts, socks and tracksuits. All parents have to provide is rugby boots and other associated items (gum shields, body armour, etc). The Hornets have an outlet for their branded training kit at www.imagescotland.com and this kit can be purchased at a very reasonable cost. The club also have a selection of old rugby boots of varying sizes to enable any new players to get involved.

Safety

Mini rugby is a contact sport and as such there are mandatory safety precautions to be observed, e.g. the use of gum shields is mandatory, also only aluminium studs with a kite mark are allowed (moulded sole boots or blades are allowed). Most referees will check studs before a game and anyone found without the correct studs will not be allowed to play. In recent years other safety equipment has started to become available, such as head guards, body armour and gloves, these safety items, while attractive, are not mandatory.

Eric Willis